MITTEILUNGEN KLOSTERNEUBURG

64(2014) 9
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THE HUMAN CAPITAL DETERMINANT OF

SOCIAL STRATIFICATION IN ROMANIA

Ph.D. Stoican Mirela1, Ph.D. Camarda Adina Liana2, Ph.D. Filip Nelly3,
University Bioterra of Bucharest, Faculty of Management Agritourism of Focani, ,
str. Maior Sava no.6 Focani, Romania, Mobile: +40.745.533.401
2. University George Bariiu of Braov, Faculty of Economic Studies, Str. Lunii no. 6, Braov,
Romnia, Mobile:+40.722.883.806
3. Academy of Economic Studies, str. Banulescu - Bodoni, 61, MD-2005 Chisinau, Republic of
Moldova,
1.

jercalai@yahoo.com
2
adinaturism@yahoo.com
3
nfilip@mail.ru

(Stoican Mirela, Ale. Echitii no. 1/22, Focani, jud. Vrancea, Romnia,
cod 620144)

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ABSTRACT
Economic, social and political transformations in transition economies
have led to the formation of new social groups and changed the structure of the society
as a whole. New groups appear not based on the classical principals of stratification, but
there have national particularities, human capital formation given in the current
economy, namely that innovational. Middle class is a guarantee of economic, social and
political stability. This paper provides an estimation of the presence of the middle class
in Romania, on the base of objective criterion and subjective identification of people.
Conclusion is that Romanians middle class, due to its material and social
position, is in the process of formation.
Keywords: human capital, middle class, social stratification, model of social
stratification
JEL: J24, N34, P16, Z13

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INTRODUCTION
The two decades of independence and economic reforms have resulted in
significant changes in virtually all spheres of human activity in Romania. Profound
changes have taken place in the social structure of the country. Therefore, special
attention is paid to issues of stratification of society and, above all, the emergence of the
middle class, as a guarantor of social, political and economic stability of the country.
The historic mission of the middle class depends on the functions that it performs
in society. It is the foundation of social and main power reforms, ensure reproduction of
highly qualified labor force, contribute to the development of scientific and technical
progress and social progress, applying innovations keep unity and cultural identity of the
society. Due to its distinct functions, we find that the role of the middle class is
particularly important, because they are more present than ever research training
processes of the middle class in Romania, determine criteria for the identification and its
impact on sustainable development of society.

RESEARCH
In this study we aimed to realize an analysis of the middle class in Romania,
highlighting the peculiarities of social stratification present.
The term 'middle class' has a long history. It is argued that, for the first time, that
concept has been used by the playwright Euripides (sec. V. BC), referring to three
classes in society: rich, poor and middle class. "In society, there are three classes: first,
the rich, for the city, from its not any good, it just captures them as much. But are
dangerous and the poor, the homeless, the poisoned arrow directs to the wealthy ...
middle class is only support for the city; she adhere to the laws and power " (Nauka,
Ladomir, 1999).
In pre-industrial society, the middle class is studied as a social category as the
"residual", so this class is concerned those who had titles were peasants (agricultural
laborers), namely: small entrepreneurs, traders, manufacturers. Class composition
changes depending on the country and time period. These groups were not autonomous
subjects and thus middle class was studied piecemeal.
The middle class, the social, industrial society appears as with the development of this
society, social structure occurs, it is determined that class instead. The "old" middle class
was between workers and large businesses.
In the middle of the last century in industrialized countries, the middle class
population was comparable to the number of the working class. Thus, in Britain, in
1948, is considered middle class 47% of the population. (Cole G.D.H, 1950)

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Since the 60s of XX century, when the priority of socio-economic development in

the U.S.
and in Western Europe, became human capital, the middle class is considered as main
subject of investment in human capital. Ranks of the middle class expanded key account
engineers, scientists, professionals and managers. Pierre Bourdieu, French sociologist,
developing human capital theory developed by Gary Becker, linking stratification by the
presence of capital, designating three forms of capital, based on the total volume of
capital, which is in fact the basis of social stratification - economic capital, social and
cultural. The mechanism of connection between economic and cultural capital is
intermediated by time.
The un-homogeneity of capital structure previously determined dividing a class
into subclasses. Meanwhile, the number of "white collars" (teachers, police, managers,
small business owners) involved in the management, growing faster than "blue collars"
(workers) employed in production. Consequently, the share of the working class in the
structure of employment has decreased compared to the share of the employed in
services, civil and scientific workers.
The models "of the middle class" post-industrial society have been studied in
theory "Tehnotron company", "consumer society", "information society" (works of D.
Bell, J. Galbraith, I. Cristoll, E. Raith). At the same time, scientists have tried to exploit
social sources and formation conditions "middle class" in the scientific-technical
revolution and argue its historical mission.
The concept of middle class is absolutely no doubt related to the human capital.
Changing role of human capital transformation of primary cost element in the
development of social productive factor and led to the necessity of a new paradigm of
development. Human capital appears as a dynamic factor of society, leading to
stratification eloquent. For the interpretation of inequality and social structure of
contemporary society, was used stratification approach, reflected widely in Western
sociology from the early twentieth century.
Social stratification (separation of layers) involves ranking of individuals and
groups, from top to bottom, horizontal layers, and the principle of inequality. Social
layer is a blanket of persons united by some social indicators occupying similar positions
in society. Representatives of layers, in reality, are united by a living similarly oriented
the same values. They exist in a socio-economic and cultural stereotype and is at the
same level of social hierarchy. In our view, the definition of social stratum, presented P.
Sorokin (PA Sorokin, 2005), is wider and organic, and is presented as "all persons
similar after profession, as state heritage rights by volume respectively professional
interests have equal socio-legal + property + ".
The contemporary approach of the social stratification appeared in the concept of
functional classes, as one of the basic social layers (R. Aron, D. Bell, T. Parsons,
W.L.Warner). This view shows the classes and veberiene development approach differs
fundamentally, the Marxist theory of class.
The authors of the approach emphasize functional classes next training class
indicators: income level, education level and grade, the prestige of the profession, access
to power. Because they are extremely rare companies whose strata are completely

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closed, in any society, there is vertical mobility in the three forms of it" (P. Sorokin
1959).
1) economic stratification, the division of society based on the criteria of income and
wealth;
2) political stratification, which means differentiating individuals according to the
degree of influence on the behavior of other members of society, as the amount of power
that belongs to them;
3) occupational stratification that involves the differentiation of society into different
layers according to the social role fulfilled, education, knowledge and skills.
Based on theoretical elements highlighted the above some authors have concluded
that social stratification is the condition and effect of social mobility. (Rdule, 2011)
As a model that can be adapted to the structure of any society, including the
transition in our view, given the model argued M.B.Glotov
TABLE 1
Universal model of structural stratification of society
Layers
Indicators
Economical
Political
Educational
Elite
Very rich
in power
scientific degree
Superior
Middle
Inferior

rich
wealthy
poor

Marginal needy

leaders
clerk
subordinate

higher education
middle education
incomplete studies

Professional
the
most
prestigious
prestigious
quite prestigious
Without prestige

no power

illiterate

rejected

Source: ..

Based on a statistical achieved worldwide, they show that the total number of
families included in the middle class, most are in Europe - 38% of the total. North
America follows with 26% of total global share, and Asia - Pacific region, with 23% of
the total. Forecasts estimate that most of the global middle class by 2020 will be 42% in
Asia-Pacific, and Europe and North America current percentage drops to 29% and 17%.
In Romania, the middle class are dedicated to the works of Virgil Madgearu,
which focused on the analysis of social classes in the evolution of Romanian capitalism
training. To the great economist, classes are a community of interests that emerge from
existing economic party, having its origin in the unequal distribution of wealth and
income. A predominant middle class emphasizes scholar, means growth, stability, high
purchasing power and thoughtful reform.
In the researchers' view, Romania had no middle class before 1990, but even
now, the middle class does not correspond to contemporary, from a qualitative and
quantitative standard of economic and social stability.
For Romania, is characteristic accumulation of property - for some people,
maintaining possession of the property - for others and for the vast majority - lack of

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ownership. Changes in employment status are the consequences of changing the nature
of the property with direct influence on the restructuring of class. Statistical data from
the last twenty years notes the predominance of employees, with a moderate decrease
their weight. In Romania, after the revolution of December, the industry has
dramatically reduced activity following the privatization and bankruptcy of those firms
which could not be supported by modern technology and competitive. These phenomena
have contributed to employment growth in agriculture, reduction of employed in
industry and construction, occupying a part of the population into new areas. Changes
occurred in the structure of employment and restructuring influenced classes: the
beginning of the new millennium came and middle class. Until 2008, it was a positive
dynamics of growth, but the influence of the economic crisis, this trend was reversed. If,
in 2008, according to statistics, 20% of the population was classified into the middle
class in 2011, according to census data, about 10% of the population belongs to this
class. [8] It is a modest percentage towards that minimum of 50%, as it should be to
represent this population to consider strong and stable state. Less than 10% of Romanian
belongs to the middle class. In the U.S., the proportion is 54% and in Germany - 51%.
The crisis wave layered population too poor and very rich. The poorest stratum tends to
be about 50% of the population.
Currently, the social structure of the existing classes in Romania can be found as
follows: upper class, middle class, lower class and maintaining a working class and
workers in rural areas, which are not found in any of the first three. The composition of
the middle class is still not well defined, although there are large and small entrepreneurs
engaged. Small entrepreneurs, teachers and doctors should be the bulk of the middle
class. In Romania, however, their income places them in the poor category.
Limited access to the property, the legal and institutional variable low living
standard - are those aspects in which the process of formation of the middle class.
CONCLUSIONS
Guarantor of the progressive movement of society is both quantitative growth
and qualitative improvement of the characteristics of those layers of the population,
which refers to the "middle" social. Increasing middle class/middle layers is not an end
in itself the development of society. Meanwhile, the mass, stability, living standards
"means" social is aggregated indicators of the welfare of the whole society.
The welfare society derives primarily from human welfare. But it can achieve
welfare conditions is impetuous necessary to make an investment in human capital.
Investing in education appears as one of the best solutions to achieve that
individual parameters to be considered a factor of economic growth and thus as a
determinant of social stratification. Investing in human capital, in education, training
and health concerns on the one hand and scientific training of human resources available
and on the other hand, adapting human resources to structural changes of the economy
imposed by scientific and technical progress on the basis the efficiency (Stoican, 2012).

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Investing in human capital is one of the most cost-effective and should be a

priority for any community that is part of the path of sustainable socio-economic
development.
For these reasons, in the correction of social and economic development
programs, it is necessary to start from the socio-economic identities that were formed in
society, preferences and social guidelines to create real conditions for the expansion and
consolidation "means" social.
We believe that according to the criteria of well-being (level of income, property
ownership) and in accordance with collective self-identification, behavior, lifestyle and
social status, facing increasing income or self achievement, the middle class in Romania
is only forming stage.
State policy should be oriented toward training beneficial conditions of the
middle class, as a guarantor of stability in society.
Future studies to evaluate the parameters we channel human capital in achieving
innovation activity, as guarantor of grounding social classes, with the coordinated
investment in education and its effects over the middle class.
REFERENCES:
[1] Bell D., (1973), The coming of Post-Industrial Society New-York, Basic
Books.
[2] Cole G.D., (1950),The Conception of the Middle Classes, British Journal
of Sociology, Vol.1.No.4.
[3] . , (1999), . 2- . .1.,
,. ., , ,
[4] Erikson R., Goldthorpe J., (1992),The Constant Flux: A Study of Class
Mobility in Industrial Societies,Oxford: Claredon Press
[5] Rdule, A., (2011), Stratificarea social, Revista Transilvan de tiine ale
Comunicrii, 3(14)
[6] Sorokin P. Social and Cultural Mobility. Free Press, 1959, p.11
[7] ..,(2005),
[8] ..
[http://www.socprob.ru/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=65
[9] Sorocean, O., Coeleva, N., Filip, N., (2014), Analele ASEM, no. 1,
Publisher ASEM, Chisinev, Republic of Moldova
[10] Stoican, M., (2012), Dezvoltarea capitalului uman n condiiile formrii
economiei inovaionale, Publisher Universiy of Transilvania, Braov, p. 113

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